Maria Stuarda Tickets

Maria Stuarda in New York City

Donizetti’s explosive political masterpiece, Maria Stuarda, comes to the Metropolitan Opera House, in Upper Manhattan this December. Acclaimed director Sir David McVicar’s lavish production is considered one of the definitive stagings of the bel canto opera, and returns to the Met for a strictly limited season. Sparks fly at a confrontation between two queens in this dramatic historical reimagining - secure your tickets today.

What Is the Opera Maria Stuarda About?

In the late 16th Century, at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, Catholic Queen Mary Stuart is under house arrest, having abdicated her throne and fled her country, and has been imprisoned as a suspect in the murder of her second husband. But Mary’s presence in England has stirred up questions of the Protestant Elizabeth’s legitimacy, due to the suspected adultery of her mother, and when a nobleman vies for both the queen’s hearts, jealousy abounds. As Elizabeth holds an audience with her cousin, tempers flare, sparks fly, and the explosive meeting changes the course of English history forever…

Maria Stuarda is inspired by real history, but imagines a fictional encounter between the two queens, who, in reality, never met.

The History of Maria Stuarda

Maria Stuarda is based on Andrea Maffei's translation of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play Mary Stuart. Donizetti had seen Schiller’s play, and was keen to create an opera based on the work. After Donizetti’s first choice of librettist fell through, he engaged Bardari, who was only seventeen at the time and a law student, which allowed Donizetti greater influence over the libretto. 

The opera had a contentious beginning, with fights at rehearsal, and was initially banned by the King of Naples - whose wife was a descendant of Mary Stuart - and extensively reworked as Buondelmonte. Buondelmonte only ran for six performances in Naples in 1834, and Maria Stuarda later premiered in its original form, albeit with a few minor script changes that had to be approved by a censor, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1835. 

The show's popularity has slowly increased over the years, and it is now considered to be part of the standard repertoire. McVicar’s staging first came to the Met in 2013.

The Creative Team of Maria Stuarda

Maria Stuarda is composed by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848), with a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari (1817–61).

David McVicar (Der Rosenkavalier, Die Zauberflöte) directs, with conductor Enrique Mazzola (L'Elisir d'Amore) at the podium.

Tickets for Maria Stuarda at the Metropolitan Opera

David McVicar’s stunning production of Donizetti’s powerful political opera is unmissable. With sumptuous sets, lavish costumes, and powerhouse vocals from two remarkable divas, this historical drama is anything but boring. Secure your tickets for Maria Stuarda at the Metropolitan Opera today.